The nights chosen, p.1
The Night's Chosen, page 1
THE NIGHT’S CHOSEN
E. E. HORNBURG
THE NIGHT’S CHOSEN
By
E. E. Hornburg
Copyright © 2020 E. E. Hornburg
Edited by Tee Tate
Cover Design by MiblArt.
All stock photos licensed appropriately.
Map Design by Cartographybird.
Published in the United States by City Owl Press.
www.cityowlpress.com
For information on subsidiary rights, please contact the publisher at info@cityowlpress.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.
Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent and permission of the publisher.
Contents
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Sneak Peek of The Shadow’s Heir
A Guide to the Deities
Keep Reading The Cursed Queens
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Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Publisher
Additional Titles
Praise for E. E. Hornburg
“The Night’s Chosen is a fairytale-like fantasy romance about the burden of duty and following your heart. From the characters to the prose, the fairytale vibes are strong in this book. The world building pulls you in immediately. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!” – Gabrielle Ash, author of The Family Cross and For the Murder
“This stunning fantasy debut swept me away. The Night's Chosen offers up a delectable blend of intrigue, magic, and romance all wrapped up in fresh takes on fantasy tropes and themes. The author's vivid, lyrical writing is perfect for the story and brings to life a world of wonder in the most divine of ways to create an immersive experience sure to completely transport the reader. Hornburg's story is a total page turner that will keep you guessing through twists and surprises.” – Kat Turner, author of Hex, Love, and Rock and Roll
“E. E. Hornburg has invented a world with several charming aspects. Her vision of a free-thinking society with fewer sexual hang ups is refreshing. Her pantheon of deities offers cultural variation, and her main character’s devout nature is an admirable trait… The value in Ms. Hornburg’s story-telling lies in the smaller touches which are sprinkled like stardust throughout the pages.” – InD’tale
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When I was 14, I wanted to write a book, but I didn’t know what it would be about. My sister said I should write about Snow White.
For Natalie, who is the kindest, most loyal, and wonderful older sister anyone could ask for who always has my back.
Chapter One
EIRA
Eira never dreaded sunset. Or the Moon Festival. Or returning home. Or seeing the Oxarian royal family. She had always looked forward to those things. But not today. If only she could stop time.
No, not stop time, exactly. If she stopped time, Eira would never become queen.
She’d spent her life, all twenty-odd years of it, preparing to reign. She wanted to stop the wedding, something she should have been as prepared for as ruling Cresin.
Eira twirled the betrothal band around her wrist. The wedding was going to happen, regardless of what she wanted. With a deep exhale, she closed her eyes and sang, hoping to ease the storm brewing inside and instead focus on the peaceful magic bestowed on her by Luana’s priestesses.
The song ignited the crescent moon tattoo on her chest, and as it glowed, stars formed and sparkled around her head. Swirls of darkness poured out of her fingers and mingled with the betrothal band. The tune and words were meant to sooth and calm the soul, make the singer become one with Luana and be as peaceful as the night sky. Yet it did little to ease the darkness, ice, and stars warring underneath Eira’s skin.
Luana grant me peace…grant me grace…
The wedding was this week. Tonight, she and Alvis were going to perform the opening ceremony for the Moon Festival, ushering in Luana’s season, where the nights became longer than the day. This year, it would also signify the start of the wedding celebrations. As the Chosens of Luana and Ray, it was believed pieces of the souls of the god and goddess resided inside both she and Alvis, making them the closest to the deities their people would ever have. The two had been betrothed her entire life. Yet now the week arrived and she still wasn’t ready.
A knock came at the door, breaking Eira’s trance. With a wave of her arms, the stars and darkness vanished, and her tattoo faded. Taking a deep breath, she closed her robe and moved to the door, where the knocking was becoming incessant.
“Eira! Will you quit all your praying and let me in?” Rose’s voice drifted from the other side of the door.
Her younger sister almost clubbed Eira in the eye with the velvet box she held as Eira pulled the door open.
“I’d imagine after a year of visiting temples, you’d have had enough of praying by now.” Rose barreled into the room, leaning on her crutch, and dropped the box on the vanity with a thud.
“It was more necessary than usual today.” Eira shut the door behind them and exhaled, pressing her lips together before placing her hands on her hips. “And maybe if I hadn’t received dozens of letters from you and Father begging me to come home from those temples, I wouldn’t need to pray so long this morning.”
Rose waved Eira off. “It wasn’t as though you hadn’t planned on being home in time for the Moon Festival. We were simply reminding you.”
She dropped her crutch and it clattered to the ground as she flopped onto the plush, deep blue bed, pale freckled arms outstretched. Her copper hair splayed out on the quilt like fiery waves.
Eira had only been home for a few days since her yearlong pilgrimage, and had a curious new fascination with Rose. In so many ways she was the same, but in spite of sending letters all year and seeing one another for the holy days, there was still something different Eira couldn’t put her finger on. Rose had always been as fiery as her red hair and ready to speak her mind at any given chance. She never sat still for more than a moment. Yet now there was an air of unease and distance about her Eira didn’t recognize. This was one of the reasons she was glad to be home, in spite of everything. She wanted to get to know her sister again.
“And it wasn’t dozens of letters,” Rose replied. “It’s been a difficult year.”
Eira crossed the room and sat on the bed next to Rose.
“I’m aware. It’s not as though I was only sitting in temples praying the whole time. I went and visited as many of the villages that needed help as I could. They’re recovering from the fires, but it’s going to take a long time.”
“I’m not only talking about the fire recovery.” Rose propped herself on her elbows. “People have been…talking.”
Eira shifted in her seat. “People talk often Rose, whether I’m here or not.”
“Last night after supper, Father and I overheard the Oxarian king and queen talking. It appears they have been concerned about your dedication to the betrothal.”
“Oh?” Eira rubbed the band on her wrist again, as though it were squeezing her tighter with each moment.
“It’s been five years since your original wedding date. While Father and Alvis have been more than happy to let you go off to university and travel the kingdoms, and your pilgrimage came at the perfect time after the forest fires so you could help the people while you traveled, King Rahim and Queen Shideh and other nobles from Oxare don’t see it the same way.”
They were smart. Of course they were. They’d raised Alvis, after all, and he was one of the most intelligent people she knew. Eira had been running for so long, and now there was nowhere else to go.
She straightened her shoulders and smiled. “Well, I’ll have to prove them wrong, won’t I? The whole opening ceremony for the Moon Festival is the commencement of the wedding celebrations. Once they see me there, they’ll know I haven’t changed my mind about the wedding.”
Rose groaned and pushed into a sitting position. “It’s not only them. There’re other people, too. They’re wondering why you haven’t been around.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Eira said, through a clenched jaw. “Royals travel through their kingdoms all the time. Father did before he became king, and still does. Besides, after I get married, I’m going to be in Oxare with Alvis for half the year anyway.”
“I know.”
Rose’s touch on her arm sent a wave of warm comfort through her, and Eira felt her shoulders relax. A hint at the closeness they once had.
“But you know how people are. Normally I wouldn’t worry about it, and I’ve been defending you, especially with the guard, and you have so many who are loyal to you…”
Of course Rose defended her. It’s what she’d been doing for her their entire lives. What they both had done for each other. No matter how many months Eira was away, she knew she never had to doubt Rose. Even when Eira doubted herself, if Rose was there, she knew all would be fine.
“But?” Eira prodded.
The hesitation in Rose’s voice was enough to make Eira’s concerns heighten.
“But it’s not only gossip. Some members of the council eventually listened, and talked too. So did Queen Amelia.” Rose grimaced at the idea of their stepmother. “You know how she is, though. I don’t suspect any of the priestesses have gossiped, but you know how close High Priestess Nyx is to some of the council members. I don’t want to concern you, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved you were coming home. This ceremony could be the start of your gaining back their trust.”
The new complication brought more to consider, and Eira rubbed her temples to ease the faint throbbing that had started, and slid off the bed. While she respected High Priestess Nyx as the leader of Luana’s temple, the two of them often disagreed in matters of theology and politics.
With Nyx having the ears of many councilmen, planting seeds of doubt, Eira was sure all eyes would be on her even more so during the ceremony and wedding celebrations. Regardless, whatever doubts Eira had about herself or this marriage, she couldn’t—and shouldn’t—let it interfere with ascending the throne someday. Her people needed to have complete confidence in her.
She may not have been ready to be married to Alvis, but her desire to be queen never faltered.
The remnants of an afternoon snack sat on the vanity next to the velvet box, and Eira took a piece of apple, popped it into her mouth, and gobbled it. When she opened the box to reveal a silver and blue diadem, the stardust sprinkled on the metal twisting around diamonds made it sparkle on its own without needing any light from the room. Eira lifted it out and perched it onto her long dark hair.
It was one of Cresin’s oldest antiques and had been worn by Luana’s Chosen for hundreds of years. Eira didn’t wear it often, but when she did, she found herself sitting straighter, with her shoulders back and head held high. When she wore it, she could imagine herself being a woman worthy to have it on her head and to live up to the legacy she’d been born into.
She could do this.
She had to do this.
People always said she looked like Queen Isadore—the first Chosen of Luana—and Luana herself. Not as though she ever had anything to compare herself to, other than paintings that followers of Goddess Efare created of what they supposed Luana and Isadore looked like. Legend said all of Luana’s Chosen through the generations looked like Luana, and all Eira’s life people claimed she had the closest likeness since Isadore, with pale—almost translucent—skin, blood-red lips, dark hair, and sky-blue eyes.
Each of the firstborn heiresses of the Cresin throne were the daughters and Chosen of Luana, as the firstborn heirs of Oxare are the sons and Chosen of Ray.
Rose grabbed her crutch and limped over to Eira. They stood side by side in front of the mirror, opposites at first glance, with Eira’s gentleness and Rose’s wild nature. On further inspection, the two sisters were perfect compliments to one another.
Rose groaned. “You’re not even dressed yet and you already look perfect. It’s not fair.”
“Perhaps it would help if you changed out of your training leathers.”
Rose had a unique and free beauty about her, but usually she was too busy beating the other members of the guard on the training grounds for many to notice.
Or at least, not for Rose to notice others noticing her.
Another knock came at the door. The familiar melodic voice of Priestess Cynth came from behind it.
“Your Highness? The opening ceremony is supposed to start soon. We need to prepare you.”
Eira’s heart sank. Once Priestess Cynth and the ladies-in-waiting came into her chamber, it would be nonstop preparations, celebrations, and being surrounded by people until she was at the altar and at Alvis’s side for their wedding at the end of the week. She’d have no peace. No personal space. No chance of stopping the wedding.
Outside her window, past the white rose tree which bloomed and grew up the wall no matter what the season, the songs of Luana’s priestesses floated in the air. Part of Eira wished to join them. They didn’t know how lucky they were. Free to worship, to make friends, and even to take whoever they wanted to bed whenever they liked.
She could do it. Be one of the priestesses. She’d been bestowed with the same powers, and studied Luana’s ways the way they had been—even more so as the Chosen. She’d trained and studied longer than most priestesses, and was given more power at her dedication ceremony as a young woman than the others. Traveling to all of Luana’s temples over the past year had shown her this, especially when she’d been in the oldest temple in the Paravian Mountains and her magic awoke there.
Cynth’s own mother, who was a priestess there, welcomed Eira with open arms, and when she’d left, promised there would always be a place for Eira.
The town was small, and the mountains dangerous, with strange winged creatures terrorizing them. But she’d still go back in a heartbeat.
And priestesses weren’t required to marry.
Eira turned and glanced at herself in the vanity mirror, with the stardust circled around her hair, looking like the midnight sky. She was a queen. Or at least, was going to be.
Queen. This was what she should be focused on. Becoming queen was what was important here.
“Are you all right?”
Her sister’s touch on her shoulder brought Eira back to reality.
She blinked and forced a bright smile. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Rose cocked her head, with a raised brow. “It’s a big week, and we’ve barely talked for months. It’s not an odd question.”
Priestess Cynth knocked again. “I’m sorry to disturb, Your Highness, but we do need to prepare. Sunset will not wait for us.”
No. It would not.
Luana bless it.
Eira took a couple deep breaths, touching her thumb to each of her fingertips to calm herself.
Her pulse slowed to normal, and her muscles relaxed.
“Yes, please come in.”
A flurry of women entered the chamber with dresses and cosmetics overflowing in their arms and excited chatter pouring out of their mouths like a waterfall, drowning out the priestess’s songs from outside. Lady Evony at the back of the group held glasses in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. As the women went to work at removing Eira’s robe, Evony, court’s unofficial patron of festivities, passed out the glasses and poured the wine with extravagant flourishes and twirls, without spilling a single drop.
